[Under*Over]

How would you rate your quality of life- from 1 to 10?

Are you happy? Have you been able to do all the things you want to do? Sdo you think youll be able to do whatever you want to in the future? How much do your symptoms impact you? What brings you down the most and what makes you feel best?

Im just curious.

[FriendlyJoe]

I'd say 4 out of 10 only because I dont know what happiness is. I'm sad daily but mostly people would never know it.

Very interesting question! Let me try to answer each piece in a complete way.

How would you rate your quality of life- from 1 to 10?
I'd give it about a 7 right now (things have been going great and my mood drastically increased about a week ago), but in general maybe a 4-- I'm not being fulfilled because I don't have the energy to do anything. I don't have a job right now and I don't feel like I contribute to anything anymore. I have lost a lot pleasure in things I used to enjoy, but I still try to find the fun in them (as in I still do them from time to time if I can manage to get out of bed).

Are you happy?
Currently? Yes. I feel good. I feel real good. Nothing in my life has changed, except my mood and I'm so happy about it.

Have you been able to do all the things you want to do?
This is an interesting question because when I'm depressed -- there isn't anything I want to do but sleep or eat. So, in those moments.. I'm doing all I want. But in a general sense, no. I still am not living to my potential which is something I want to do. I want to be active, I want to feel that I add something to the world.

Do you think you'll be able to do whatever you want to in the future?
I have hope that I will. Like I said, right now I feel really good and I'm hopeful for the future.

How much do your symptoms impact you?
The depression is debilitating. I honestly live most of my life (since I can remember) in a depression. Chronic depression's wear and tear is the worst. The absolute worst. I've been diagnosed as Bipolar II, so hypomania for me is impactful as well. I have trouble staying on one topic or focusing, but I feel good and have energy to get things done if I really want to. I would almost call hypomania a positive (definitely compared to depression) but of course it also manifests some irritability and problems with overwhelming myself with ideas, projects, and that sort of thing.

What brings you down the most and what makes you feel best?
I've never really thought about this before, but it's a very good reflective question. What brings me down the most is financial troubles. Constant debt and the feeling you're drowning and can't get out of it, coupled with depression and all the other stresses in life, it's a killer.

What makes me feel the best is when I can laugh with friends and family and be social. I really enjoy laughing and making others laugh. It's wholesome, rewarding, and fun for me.

I hope I answered your question. I know I was a little long winded and thought about deleting this post.. but I'll keep it anyway. Thanks for the chance to be introspective! I really enjoyed the questions.

Brentus, I can relate to a lot of what you wrote.

How would you rate your quality of life- from 1 to 10?
I guess 7, even though I'm still on disability. I know it could be better in many ways, but I see myself as extremely lucky with what I have. I try to see the best in what I have. Times have been far worse for me. I see myself as on the horizon of positive change. I'm a half glass full kind of gal. I hope I will always be.

Are you happy?
To a large degree, yes, but I have periods when I'm extremely happy and times when I really struggle. Struggling is painful, but struggles always ease.

Have you been able to do all the things you want to do?
You know, I feel I've done a lot more than most people in terms of things that I value. But did I want a lot more? Yes. I wish I had reached even higher goals. Perhaps I still can, but I've had to readjust the goals in certain ways. I would like to become more productive to make both my husband's and my life easier and more secure again. A lot of people in this world usually say they have not done all that they would do, though some do. I hope to be in the latter category in time.

So do you think youll be able to do whatever you want to in the future?
Whatever I want? Perhaps not. But I'll do some of what I want. I'll do some things I didn't expect, which may be satisfying.

What brings you down the most and what makes you feel best?
Mild sedation and my inability to adequately handle stress brings me down a lot. Enough to still be disabling. The latter triggers my bipolar. My bipolar disorder's fickleness holds me back in many ways and has throughout my life. It has done so even more as I've aged.

I feel best when I concentrate on the beauties in my life, simple pleasures, and the occasional big ones.

[venusss]

How would you rate your quality of life- from 1 to 10?

About 8. I have job which i like most of the time, live in one of the most awesome cities in the world and have good friends and I somehow fulfilled my dream of making an impact.

Are you happy?

Happy is overrated. I am happy when I see a kitten, nice sunset, paint a nice painting, buy cool skirt or attend a successful demo. My life is not an constipated unicorn that farts rainbows day and night... but I am content, at peace. I am happy when good things happen and appropriately sad when sad things happen. I can move past the sadness, I can use sadness and anger in constructive way.

That is more important than elusive and abstract "happy".


Have you been able to do all the things you want to do?


Well, I had not visited Israel, India and Vietnam yet, but I did other things that I were not on my mind. I cannot do all the things I would like to for lack of time and money... but I am still alive and I can achieve lots of my little dreams yet. Maybe I will even get a position on future ministry of tourism of Ukraine and free pass for Ukrainian railroads (AND monthly supply of Roshen chocolate...)* yet.


Sdo you think youll be able to do whatever you want to in the future?

I don't know. Things may happen. Maybe in Damascus in 2010 people also thought their futures are bright. Objective things can happen that prevent you from doing "whatever you want". I don't think there is a person on the planet that could do "whatever they wanted". But I think I will be able to do deal with life pretty well.



How much do your symptoms impact you?


Somewhat. Honestly, it's mostly my trauma issues that impact me lately. I did not have too intense bipolar symptoms for years.


What brings you down the most and what makes you feel best?

Reality sometimes puts me down. People that are not "good people" make me feel bad and hopeless. I feel the best when I feel there is sense in all the things I do.


* It is something I joke about with fellow activists. I love traveling and I would love to promote tourism in Ukraine for bit more than "good feeling"... and well, I have done so much for that country (got several certificates of gratitude to prove that) and since the current president does own a chocolate factory, maybe he can pay us volunteers in chocolates.... right?

[seoultous]

How would you rate your quality of life- from 1 to 10?
Probably an 8. I don't do all that I could with my life - I am just too emotionally spent to use my free time to meet my needs.

Are you happy?
Happy? Yes, but I have trouble feeling joy.

Have you been able to do all the things you want to do?
I have a successful marriage and have raised 2 wonderful children to adulthood. My job is ok. That is probably the area where I am most disappointed. I wish I had a career I was proud of rather than just a job.

Do you think you'll be able to do whatever you want to in the future?
Maybe. Depression seems to be lurking always in the background. Who knows when it will next take hold of me.

How much do your symptoms impact you?
Currently I am stable and things are good. I am happy and healthy.

What brings you down the most and what makes you feel best?
It all depends. I can't really say out of context what makes me down.
My family makes me feel best. I love being around them and they enjoy me so I have avoided the real potential for BP to wreck havoc with my interpersonal relations.

[~Christina]

I’ll pick a 6.5 on my overall life. I have the bipolar to manage with but I also have significant chronic pain conditions to manage.

Could be better or worse I suppose.

[Row Jimmy]

I'm about a 7/8 - I make it my business to be happy. While I'm not where I want to be, I try to appreciate what I have. I take time to work on my condition - I exercise, I climb mountains, I build models, I sleep well, I try to be mindful, I cook, I eat well, and I try to internalize the goodness. I find my groove. The point is this - there's a lot of garbage we all face, but we can't let it consume us. That just makes things worse and we go into a death spiral that we can't pull out of. I'm not proud of my past but it's the *past* and I'm leaving it there. I stumble and fall regularly but I get right back up and keep moving forward. A *huge* help is that I don't give a s*** what people think of me. I just do what I want within reason and take the good with the bad.

[BipolaRNurse]

Originally Posted by Brentus

Very interesting question! Let me try to answer each piece in a complete way.

How would you rate your quality of life- from 1 to 10?
I'd give it about a 7 right now (things have been going great and my mood drastically increased about a week ago), but in general maybe a 4-- I'm not being fulfilled because I don't have the energy to do anything. I don't have a job right now and I don't feel like I contribute to anything anymore. I have lost a lot pleasure in things I used to enjoy, but I still try to find the fun in them (as in I still do them from time to time if I can manage to get out of bed).

Are you happy?
Currently? Yes. I feel good. I feel real good. Nothing in my life has changed, except my mood and I'm so happy about it.

Have you been able to do all the things you want to do?
This is an interesting question because when I'm depressed -- there isn't anything I want to do but sleep or eat. So, in those moments.. I'm doing all I want. But in a general sense, no. I still am not living to my potential which is something I want to do. I want to be active, I want to feel that I add something to the world.

Do you think you'll be able to do whatever you want to in the future?
I have hope that I will. Like I said, right now I feel really good and I'm hopeful for the future.

How much do your symptoms impact you?
The depression is debilitating. I honestly live most of my life (since I can remember) in a depression. Chronic depression's wear and tear is the worst. The absolute worst. I've been diagnosed as Bipolar II, so hypomania for me is impactful as well. I have trouble staying on one topic or focusing, but I feel good and have energy to get things done if I really want to. I would almost call hypomania a positive (definitely compared to depression) but of course it also manifests some irritability and problems with overwhelming myself with ideas, projects, and that sort of thing.

What brings you down the most and what makes you feel best?
I've never really thought about this before, but it's a very good reflective question. What brings me down the most is financial troubles. Constant debt and the feeling you're drowning and can't get out of it, coupled with depression and all the other stresses in life, it's a killer.

What makes me feel the best is when I can laugh with friends and family and be social. I really enjoy laughing and making others laugh. It's wholesome, rewarding, and fun for me.

I hope I answered your question. I know I was a little long winded and thought about deleting this post.. but I'll keep it anyway. Thanks for the chance to be introspective! I really enjoyed the questions.

Originally Posted by BirdDancer

Brentus, I can relate to a lot of what you wrote.

How would you rate your quality of life- from 1 to 10?
I guess 7, even though I'm still on disability. I know it could be better in many ways, but I see myself as extremely lucky with what I have. I try to see the best in what I have. Times have been far worse for me. I see myself as on the horizon of positive change. I'm a half glass full kind of gal. I hope I will always be.

Are you happy?
To a large degree, yes, but I have periods when I'm extremely happy and times when I really struggle. Struggling is painful, but struggles always ease.

Have you been able to do all the things you want to do?
You know, I feel I've done a lot more than most people in terms of things that I value. But did I want a lot more? Yes. I wish I had reached even higher goals. Perhaps I still can, but I've had to readjust the goals in certain ways. I would like to become more productive to make both my husband's and my life easier and more secure again. A lot of people in this world usually say they have not done all that they would do, though some do. I hope to be in the latter category in time.

So do you think youll be able to do whatever you want to in the future?
Whatever I want? Perhaps not. But I'll do some of what I want. I'll do some things I didn't expect, which may be satisfying.

What brings you down the most and what makes you feel best?
Mild sedation and my inability to adequately handle stress brings me down a lot. Enough to still be disabling. The latter triggers my bipolar. My bipolar disorder's fickleness holds me back in many ways and has throughout my life. It has done so even more as I've aged.

I feel best when I concentrate on the beauties in my life, simple pleasures, and the occasional big ones.

THIS.^^

[Aurelius710]

How would you rate your quality of life- from 1 to 10?
5. Solid middle of the road, considering it can go either way at this point.

Are you happy?
I would like to be. I'm much too tense and stressed out at this point to be truly happy and content.

Have you been able to do all the things you want to do?
I've done a lot. I've been able to travel to places from Russia and Ukraine to Canada and Argentina. I've started to relearn how to play guitar. But there's still a lot I want to do. Finish school, get my big boy/big girl job, etc.

Do you think you'll be able to do whatever you want to in the future?
Yes. I have to believe that or else, what's the point?

How much do your symptoms impact you?
Granted there's physical ailments thrown into the mix, but it's been several years since my first hospitalization and I'm just now headed for the finish line for school. That's been the single biggest impact for me.

What brings you down the most and what makes you feel best?
Being "stuck" in a literal and metaphorical sense is what brings me down and, to use a horse racing metaphor, when the starting gate opens and you can rush forward and start the race is the best feeling for me. Forward momentum is how my dad put it.

[NeedHaldol]

How would you rate your quality of life- from 1 to 10?
I would rate my life at the moment about a 8 or 9.



Are you happy?
I am happy most of the time. I have been going through a med adjustment and am getting back to healthy enough again. Of course there are things I think about or come up that make me sad or ashamed or hurt, etc.

At times I get emotional and weep. Thank God my wife loves that I am sensitive.



Have you been able to do all the things you want to do?
I have done a lot in life - I am almost 40, but feel 20. There will never be an end to the things I want to do.



So you think you'll be able to do whatever you want to in the future?
I am blessed/fortunate/lucky to be in the place I am now. It took 20+ years. I do not see any issues with doing what I want to do as long as I have my wife.



How much do your symptoms impact you?
I have been in recovery and back and back and slip and fall and tumble and get up and fall and get up for 20+ years. My symptoms now are very well managed - though I am going through a med adjustment for paranoia and voices.

They are pretty much always there, but are kept at bay.



What brings you down the most and what makes you feel best?
Down -> past losses, pains, lessons, events, seeing my wife hurting, my wife crying and begging me not to kill myself (I assure her that I would never do that to her)

Best -> using my creative outlets (DJ/Producer/Artist/Poet) I have a website for each of my pursuits and offer my work to the public in various forms (online radio, podcast, art boards, websites)